


Hard Love

by DarkSadisticAngel



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe, Best Friends, Betrayal, Drugs, High School, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2014-10-13
Packaged: 2018-02-21 02:39:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2451659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkSadisticAngel/pseuds/DarkSadisticAngel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starting with school boy homophobia and friendship betrayal, to a slide to adulthood criminal world of drugs and drug running, Duo's struggles with life as the past haunts him. 1x2x1.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Was originally a one-shot that developed. New chapters added.

_Have you ever hurt somebody?_

_Have you ever turned your back on a friend?_

_It's all so easy to do. You don't need money. You don't even need much time. Or much effort at all. You don't even have to speak. All it takes, is a mere flicker of your eyes. Just turn from that somebody who is needing you. And walk. Walk far, far away._

_Mind you..._

_You can never run away completely._

_Maybe you have to repeat it? But rest assured._

_If you repeat it often enough, it would be that person who would leave you._

_Doesn't that make it so much easier, hey?_

 

Duo washed his hands over and over again. The single toilet stall stank beside the wash basin. Broken down, it was jammed and well-used regardless of its state. Duo would have liked to have hurried, but he didn't want to go outside yet. The skinned knuckles on his stung like blazes, but no doubt, it was a hell less worse than what his friends was inflicting on their target.

They'd picked a good location. Out in furthest patch of the school field, it was pretty isolated except for the former guard hut. None of the muffled screams coming through the door would be heard by anyone. Duo looked at his reflection in the broken mirror. It was only a dark outline as there were no lights in the place save for the stream that came through the top of the awkwardly tilted entrance.

God, he felt sick.

It must be the smell from the shit in the corner.

He had to get out.

Sealing off the tap, he pulled open the nearby door and stepped out. And blinked. Duo frowned as he saw an exposed pale ass before him. The owner of it was being forced to lay splayed on the ground, held down roughly by five other boys. A sixth was busy jamming a broken broomstick into the prisoner's anus.

'Naagnh!'

'Mueller, what the fuck are you doing?'

The blond youth looked up with a grin.

'Giving the gay fuck a hot stick he'd never forget.'

He flicked out a lighter and then set the flame to the stick. It was then Duo realised the stick had been dipped in some sort of gasoline as it lit up.

'Firecracker, go!' Mueller started laughing. He was joined by some of the other boys as the imprisoned boy screamed.

'Aaargaaah!'

'Shit- he's moving around like crazy now. Careful, you guys. Hold him down proper.'

'Are you crazy!? That'll get us into some seriously deep shit than just beating him up. Damnit! He'd have to go to hospital for those burns.'

The laughter from surrounding group stopped.

'Fuck, he's right!'

'Maybe if we kill him-'

'Oy, shit no. No way. That's even more... way over than what I signed up for.'

'Stop him burning. Now.' Duo grounded out. 'He won't talk.'

'I think his jaw is busted anyway... Duo really hit him a couple before.'

'He's screaming, isn't he? He can still talk. Maybe we should kill him after all.'

'Aaaaaaaagh! Aaaah!'

'Damn, the flames are getting too big.'

Duo kicked out.

'Aaaargh!'

The burning stick clattered away.

'Mueller. Put that out before this shithole place burns down. Guys, let him go. One of you, help Mueller. The rest can go. I'm going to have a little personal word with gay boy here. I'll make sure he won't speak a word of what happened here.'

'Ooh, Duo's in his grim reaper mode. Ha ha. Well, we'll leave him to you. Mueller, Alex- you guys done?'

'My fucking shirt's gone. Fucking Alex, you couldn't use your own?'

'Suck it up. It had too much blood on it to be saved anyway.'

'I guess.'

Steps faded out as the group left laughing.

Duo waited until the last exited.

He squatted down then snaked out a hand and pulled the messy brown hair of the fallen boy's up, so the other boy was forced to look up at him. Through eyes which surroundings were rapidly swelling up, the boy glared at Duo. A blood droplet that dripped down from his hairline into his Prussian blue depths caused him to blink once before continuing.

'Promise me, Heero- you will keep your mouth shut about this,' Duo ordered softly.

'...why?'

'Isn't it obvious? If you don't, things will become much worse for you.'

'No... why... did you....?'

Duo slammed Heero's head down onto the ground and lifted up his head again.

'Quit it. I only want to hear one thing- and that's your promise to keep quiet. And I want to hear it now. Otherwise, I will have to kill you.'

Duo slipped his hand into his pocket and brought out a long piece of metal. He pressed a button on the warm steel and the blade swished out from the handle.

'I'm serious. Promise me now. Otherwise, I'll slit your throat and give you a second smile.'

'You'd... really... kill me....'

'Of course. That's why I asked the others to leave.'

'I... trusted you....'

'And I trusted you, damn you. You should have never betrayed that trust!'

'You... betray. But I... would never.'

Duo's face twisted as he grimaced.

'Ugh, you're disgusting, Heero. Is that a promise?'

'....'

'I see, it is. Well then, glad to see that you understand your circumstance well. Maybe you should leave here? I hope I'll never see you again.'

'...same.'

 

_Have you ever betrayed somebody you loved?_

_Have you ever rejected yourself?_

_I have._

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

_'You're a fucking anal prick of a bastard, Heero. Follow this rule, follow that rule. For hell's sake, this is it! It's too much. It's like you're perfection and expect others to be perfect too.'_

_'I'm not perfect, nor do I expect it.'_

_'Hmph. Now really? Ever wandered off the straight and narrow path a bit?'_

_'Not intentionally.'_

_'Got to be kidding me. Can't picture that. You getting lost. So which direction did you head off to? What has the power to pull you from the almighty path of goodness and light?'_

_'You.'_

_'... Are you fucking gay?'_

 

Duo pulled off his cap and wiped the sweat off his brow. He'd been driving for twelve hours without break, and now he was finally at his destination. A shanty in the middle of nowhere within the Mexican desert. At times, he'd almost missed the yapping of Alex and Mueller. With them around, he'd least gotten to take a rest break. But they were gone. He'd killed them two years ago. Stupid fucks they were, he knew, but they had been stupid enough to try double cross him because both gone loco for some gang whore who'd only been out to use them. He'd killed the bitch too.

When she was right on top, fucking her real boyfriend, the small-time head of a territory gang. Bang, bang- a straight bullet hole drilled through their foreheads when he entered the door. He didn't worry much about their gang retaliation. He'd also cleaned up the gang first. Served them all right. They had fucked with his crowd, and now he had to move around alone.

A new gang had moved into their territory and they were peaceful to him crossing it now and then since he had gotten rid of the the previous, but Duo was very much conscious that operating solo, without friends, made him extremely vulnerable. After all, there was no telling how long the new gang would be benevolent to him, or whether they'd even last holding the small area.

He wished he had friends. Real friends. But shit, the last real friend he had, Solo, had long gone to hell. Snarky, funny, with a eye for opportunity, Solo had been nearly his mirror. Although he had known the other guys longer, when the blond guy showed up promising big money and adventure in their small town, something had just clicked with him. Duo had never been interested much in money or adventure- he actually still had a secret fucking dream about owning a little hidden cottage with white picket fences, but Solo had felt like his long lost twin brother. As an older orphan who was unsuccessful at adoption, he knew very much he was a burdensome extra mouth to feed, even if the good Father and Sister Helen never said or thought it. It was best for all for him to follow Solo out of town and find his own way in life. But he never really got why the other guys came too. They had parents and real family. They had a better future then he did. Good looking and sweet local girls had been their darlings too. Hell, Alex and Mueller had come from pretty rich families too, and didn't need money at all. Unlike him, they pretty had much everything, except, that they said, they were bored. Well now, they were dead. Dead by the bullet or drug overdoses from indulging in the goods. Lethal excitement was what they go. Perhaps he should have been more insistent for the other guys to go back. But... maybe he hadn't been a real friend to them at all.

And sometimes... he wondered if Solo had been a real friend to him.

If not, whom had been his last real friend?

 

_'We're both so very different.'_

_'Aah.'_

_'How long do you think we'd be friends?'_

_'Depends.'_

_'Damn it, you're not nice. We are going to be friends forever! Hey, did you just laugh? You know, I'm being serious here.'_

_'I know.'_

_'Do you think I lie? Well, I don't. Definitely never about sincere feelings!'_

_'Really? Are you always sincerely honest?'_

 

Duo pulled up the truck about a hundred yards from the shanty, and parked it near a ring of half-dead trees. Only trees were scattered here and there around. There wasn't any grass, but the ground was not sandy at all. It actually looked rocky, but in truth, the surrounding area was only concrete which faked the view. Like the tarred road, nothing grew on it. The trees were stands for cameras and motion detectors. The shanty was actually a contrived sloppy building marking the entrance to an underground warehouse and plant. He'd been inside before with Solo numerous times, but now that he was alone without protection, Duo didn't want to be welcomed within. It was too much risk. He'd gotten the money already wired to his accounts, so all he was looking for was to drop the goods and go with his life intact. There was a mega stash of extra hard to get chemicals within the truck needed to produce drugs. Without it, the factory could not produce even low grade shit that a life junkie would inject. Duo had a phd in street chemistry, and was an expert in anything dealing with it. They had moved quickly from trading in the low-level street commodities to pre-warehouse niche goods because of him, Solo had praised. It had made Duo feel better about not going to college in the earlier days when they hanged around various campuses waiting to sell or steal, and watched care-free students go by.

Everything was okay now. The payoff from his last delivery was enough to set himself up for life. It had been hard to get his hands on the truck goods, but he had managed to steathly swipe the quantity his client wanted. Now it was time to disappear. He'd enough of everything. Maybe, if he could get a proper job somewhere, be it in a coffee shop or cafe, work hard and earn good honest money, he could give back that to the church that raised him. It was belated, but he wanted to give something. However, Duo could have never sent any of the dirty money. Maybe if he turned good.... Maybe, maybe, maybe... He was fucking kidding himself. He could never be an upstanding citizen. His hands was too dirty, and he was going to hell. There was no forgiveness for him. But he was going to do it anyway, fuck that. Some other orphan was going to at least get something from his miserable life.

 

_'Say, do you think forgiveness really exist?'_

_'What?'_

_'Do you think that people really forgive a person? I think it's bullshit. Forgiveness is people pretending to forget things, but they never do. But if they really do forget, well, it's not forgiveness isn't it? It's just that they forgot it. What do you think?'_

_'Hn.'_

_'Hn? What's that's supposed to mean?'_

_'Theoretical framework concepts are fine enough to speculate on, but practical implementation may differ from individual to individual cases.'_

_'So, if somebody close to you did something that's unforgivable to you, would you forgive them?'_

_'That is a paradoxical question.'_

_'Argh...'_

_'But in such an unlikely occurrence, I would forgive without the pretense of forgetting. If it were you.'_

_'Damn... sounds scary enough to make me not want your forgiveness.'_

 

Duo dropped out of the truck with a light landing and went over to the back of the truck to open the shutters there. As he rounded the truck's side, Duo waved at the tree camera he saw and with a wink, he pulled out his side arm and shot at it. Immediately, his mobile phone began ringing. Laughing, Duo answered it. A burst of choice Spanish words tumbled down the line and Duo answered in kind.

'Yup, fuck you too, senor. Have the goods and am leaving it for you out the front. Thanks for your patronage, bitch. Remember to keep your guys far away from me until I've crossed over. Otherwise, the everything will go boom-boom. Trust? Fuck you. I've known you for years. No way I'll ever leave a container without insurance. Si, si, te amo you too, stupid father fucker.'

He hung up and opened the back of the truck. He was tired as hell from driving straight, but Duo wanted to beat the hell out of the gang's territory. Not because he just insulted one of the major bosses at the location, since they were actually on amicable terms, but he wanted everything to be over with as soon as possible. He wanted to return to normal.

In the back of the truck, in the middle of crates, was a small vehicle. It was technically a two-seater, but behind the driver and the passenger seat, there was actually some space for a third passenger as well. It looked somewhat mixed between a racing car and a miniature plane. This was his getaway vehicle. Built and adjusted for silent steathe, endurance and speed, it did have a few bullet marks scaring its surface, but none have ever penetrated.

With a whistle, he opened the door and clambered into the car.

It was then he heard an ominous but very familiar click of a gun against his temple.

'So I guess... you'd be wanting something?' Duo asked.

'A ride out,' came a husky, masculine voice.

It may have been the unexpected stress of the situation Duo found himself stuck it, but it was surprisingly sexy.

'No problem. Can do.'

'Good. Lean across. Keep your hands up there. Do not move. Close your eyes.'

A firm, muscular body brushed against him as the stranger squeezed past him and into the back. Several objects dug painfully into Duo's back as he moved across, indicating the stranger wasn't just armed with a gun. That deterred him from attacking the stranger. The fucker was a pro.

A light thud sounded.

'Open your eyes. Start the engine. Move slow. Never hide your hands.'

Duo obeyed. Automatically, his eyes flickered towards the rear mirror only to find the mirror was angled upwards.

'Go.'

He shrugged mentally. If he waited, there'd be other opportunities to get his own back. Duo started the vehicle and hit the pedals to exit the truck. He was distinctly aware of the cold eyes of his passenger watching his every move as they left the drug manufacturing plant.

 

_'Hey... what do you want to be when you grow up?'_

_'Haven't thought about it.'_

_'No kidding? I would've thought you'd have it all worked out until retirement and beyond.'_

_'I don't know what I'd be suitable for.'_

_'I guess... maybe a cop? FBI agent? CIA? Some sort of men in black dude.'_

_'What?'_

_'Just something you give off, you know. Protector of justice and peace, and stuff. You have this, well, sense of bossy authority about you. Yep. There it is. It's in your glare. Right here. Ouch. You didn't have to hit me so hard.'_

_'Then what about you? I don't think you'd be a priest for sure.'_

_'You and me both. Not aiming for that, anyway. Probably end up the opposite- a criminal, or something, I guess. Heh, heh... wouldn't that be funny? I'd make a great criminal master mind. Maybe you can chase after me as some cool government agent and we can have this epic battle of high intellect and wit, then you can convince me to come over to the right side? Or hell, maybe I can convince you to come over to the dark side?'_

_'You are an idiot, Duo.'_

_'Just kidding, okay? Ssh, Heero, not like it'd really happen, anyway.'_

_'I certainly hope not.'_

_'Ah, so you're saying I do have potential as a criminal? Hey, that's not nice, you know.'_

_'Duo... shut up. Keep your eyes on the road ahead and drive straight.'_

_'Can I turn the music on for extra company?'_

_'You have me. It's enough.'_

_'Total killjoy.'_

_'Live to serve.'_

_'Fucking gov agent. I can't believe I'm friends with you.'_


	3. Chapter 3

_'Yo, Fed agent.'_

_'Don't call me that.'_

_'Oh c'mon, why are you getting all upset?'_

_'It's... just that... well, you've been always... disparaging about the authorities.'_

_'Well, I... argh. Sorry. Criminal mind here, and all. It's a way of living, my man. I did grow up on the streets, you know.'_

_'You're longer on the streets.'_

_'Ain't so. You can take the trash off the streets, but trash is gonna always be trash.'_

_'.... I wish you'd have better self-respect.'_

_'Oy, I've got pretty of ego, thank you. I ain't no flippin' broken doll.'_

_'Yes, you have an ego. A extremely large one at that. But I'm referring to having self-respect for yourself.'_

_'What's the difference?'_

_'The difference between choosing to be a rabid animal or being a responsible human.'_

_'You fucking speak Japanese, Heero.'_

_'Thank you for finally using my name.'_

 

His head was hurting. Go figure. He had intended to make a break for it at the red light, but damn the fatigue, he had been way too slow. Now, he was locked up in... some sort of really weird cage. It wasn't very comfortable being crammed in the place, since the floor of the cage were made of the same square cage bars around him. They dug into his skin, as he half sat and half crouched, completely naked. The cage did not allow him to sit full raise himself. It looked to be one built for an animal. Unfortunately, its bars were not the thin sort he could break through, but one inch solid round steel bars with barely half an inch gap between them. The side was locked and paddocked with two large locks on chains. Duo's fingers itched to reach them, but other for the fact that he couldn't, the fact was that whoever had stripped him naked also had unbraided his hair and took away his secret stash of assorted tools Duo usually hid in his long hair. The bastard had been extremely thorough, damn him.

He crawled over to the side with the paddocks anywhere. From the wall nearby it, he could hear faint voices so Duo figured he'd try to listen in to pick up whatever information he could.

'.... squads needed to go in. It's too big to control.... No. There's no way around that. Barton's going to drop the target as per the alternate plan. Une, you're going to have to move on your position. It's simply not possible... Yes, I know it will be a mess, but there's no alternative....'

Ah, shit. Feds. He was in deep shit.

Go figure, old man Murphy would go take a shit on him on his last day of work.

Naaah, wait a moment. Far as he was aware, USA hadn't invaded Mexico yet. The Fed bastards must be pulling one of their sneaky shit missions again. Without no jurisdiction support, 'cause Duo knew well the 'legit' system around the desert shanty were just rent-a-cop cover. That meant he wasn't quite in deep a shit as he initially thought he was. Lady luck was still sucking his cock yet. He wasn't going to go to jail after all.

He smirked and then found out that he unexpectedly had a busted lip. The fucker Fed must have had taken a few extra side punches at his face after choking him out to unconsciousness from behind. No wonder his face also hurt like blazes and not just his neck and throat. Could explain why he was having a blasted hard time seeing straight too.

' Yes.... Yes. I understand but I.... I know but.... Yes. Fine. Barton will make it out on his own. I understand your orders.'

There was a sound of a rough clatter as something was slammed down, then a muffled curse.

Uh-oh. Pissed off Feds were nasty to deal with. Duo sighed. The fucker was probably going to go and take his anger out on him. Abusers, the lotta of them.

He quickly flattened himself down as he heard the sound of the door opening. The agent stepped inside. Duo closed his eyes, and pretended to be still unconscious. The smell of warm food drifted to his nose, however, and his stomach gurgled. Shit, he recognised the faintly spicy smell as the scent of his favourite damn burger joint. It was a local Mexican chain that thrived across the country despite all the violence and crime because the food was so damn good.

The scent came closer. There was a sound of paper crackling near his ear and then his metal cage was banged. He jerked at the sound.

'Eat,' came a barked order.

Hesitantly, Duo opened his eyes to find a wrapped hamburger shoved in front of his face.

He blinked.

'Whaa... Is this for me?'

'Yes.'

'Shit... Thanks, Mister Fed Agent,' Duo looked from the food towards the speaker. Then froze.

Familiar Prussian blue eyes gazed back at him.

'No thanks wanted.'

 

_'Respect, respect, respect. People better start giving me respect. I hate those fucking looks those cunts throw at me when I walk into the stall. I feel like I'm in some sort of cage.'_

_'If you should want respect, then respect them, and respect yourself. Like I told you before.'_

_'What the hell? You sound like you've been eating some Chinese Fortune cookies baked with special grass.'_

_'No. I don't eat cookies. I don't like junk.'_

_'Fuck, I'll give my left ball for junk.'_

_'Didn't know you felt that so inadequate.'_

_'...Hey! Heero- you fucker! You know what I mean! Like, I would fucking kill to be able to afford to cram my veins with those burger and french fries shit everyone eats. The Church never serves anything like that.'_

_'Hmph. Probably because it's the devil's food.'_


	4. Chapter 4

Heero had grown up. The black, almost skin tight clothing he wore outlined very clearly how much of an adult he had become. He was no longer a slender teenage youth, but hard man with a strong muscular body that clearly wasn't build indoors at a civilian gym. He had became a deadly, experienced agent whose moved with confident authority.

He had became something Duo hated.

But then again, Duo knew he himself wasn't one to talk.

He was probably worse than the local street-junkie 'cause he didn't do drugs- he aided in selling drugs on the mass market.

Not that he could talk now, anyway. He was rendered for the first time in his life, speechless at the unexpected sight of his ex-best friend re-appearing before him. The one he had....

Duo looked down at the hamburger and suddenly didn't want to eat it anymore. His stomach didn't feel too well.

'Here's a bottle of water.'

It was shoved through the bars.

'After you drunk it, keep the bottle beside you. If you want to urinate, use the bottle. Shit in the bag if you have to. You're not getting out of the cage.'

'You're going to imprison me? You've no right! You got nothing on me, and this ain't even the USA, Fed Agent! You're violating my human rights, you bastard! And I helped you get out of there, you ungrateful fucker!'

'Be quiet.'

'Fuck yer gay ass-cunt!'

Heero slammed the cage.

'I said- shut up! I'm keeping you here until the operation closes. If you're good, then maybe I'll let you go then.'

Heero then lent in close. Something dark in the Prussian blue depth flickered.

'But, let me give you a little warning,' Heero said softly. 'Don't push my limits. Nobody knows you're here. At all. Get me?'

'Well, aren't you just the man?' Duo sneered back, pushing down the fear that crept upwards from his tighten guts.

He didn't know this man. That dark look. Something inside Heero had changed. There never used to be such... ugliness inside of the Heero he had known.

'And you're an animal in a cage.' Heero responded back calmly. 'If I put you down, nobody would care, would they?'

That was true. Nobody would. Briefly, his mask of bravado faltered before Duo jerked up his chin to continue glaring at his captor.

Unfortunately, Heero noticed it.

Duo knew Heero noticed it because it was then something akin to uncertainty and guilt flickered across his expression before Heero jerked his face away and turned.

Now that was unexpected. Somewhere, still deep inside, traces of the old Heero was still there, even within the chilling cold stranger that now stood before Duo with his back towards him.

'Just be good, Duo. If you are, I'll let you go.'

'Well...' For some reason, Duo couldn't keep his tongue still. 'I don't know if I could be good, even if I tried.'

'I know. It's just your nature. Maybe that isn't something changeable.'

 

_'..._ _Do you... really think so_ _?'_

_'... yeah, Heero. You are._ _You're way too serious. It's just your nature. How you are. Pretty much- well, everything I hate._ _'_

_'....'_

_'Aw, don't give me that look, Heero._ _Hate's like, the other side of love right. I love you more than I 'd love a brother, so naturally, you've got to be a real prick.'_

_'What logic is that?'_

_'Destiny's logic. A path of screwed up chances interconnected together! Like this-_ _I'll turn on the radio and what ever comes is going to be our song!'_

_'_ _Duo, you can be a really offensive ass_ _-'_

_'_ _Waah_ _..ah, a love song classic? Ha-ha, man... this is fucked up. Since it's too late to take back my words, I guess this is our song, Heero.'_

_'Is_ _n't_ _this a sad one?_ _It sounds... tragic._ _'_

_'Fucked if I know. I never listen to crap like this.'_

_'You never listen to anyone.'_

_'True. But_ _you don't listen to anyone either.'_

 

_Fin._


End file.
